Skincare Junkie: The Tipples That Are Doing A Number On Your Skin

What better way to spend your Monday than learning about all the terrible things you put your skin through last weekend?

You all know I’m an absolute divil for preaching about products that’ll make your skin look and feel beautiful, however what we put into our bodies is just as important as the products we apply on the outside.

Now we’re aware that water is the thing you should be sipping if you want healthy skin, but have you ever wondered about the effects your Saturday night G&T might have? Well it’s your lucky day, STELLAR gals, because I’ve asked the Skin Nerd Jennifer Rock what drinks we should be avoiding, so you’ll be more than prepared making your bevvy choice this weekend.

The Skin Nerd Jennifer Rock
Via theskinnerd.com

You’ll be sad but probably not surprised to hear that all alcohol is bad for the skin. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases the production of urine, so when you pee the moisture out of your body you’re removing moisture from your skin, too! Dehydrated skin is unhealthy, dull skin. According to Jen, alcohol equals “drinkles”, which is code for dehydrated wrinkles at Skin Nerd HQ.

Ever have a glance in the mirror whilst in the club and see a red-faced princess staring back at you? That’s because alcohol causes tissue inflammation, meaning that it can trigger inflammatory skin conditions and bring on flushing, AKA the Rudolph effect.

So, we’ve established all alcoholic drinks are bad, but what does the Skin Nerd herself say are the worst?

“Clear liquors are thought to be best for your skin as vodka, gin and tequila leave your system a little bit quicker,” she advises. So, if you’re an old school vodka dash gal like me, you could be doing worse. “What you’re also looking for are flavonoids which are antioxidant in nature, meaning that they protect your skin from free-radical related ageing. Tipples that contain antioxidants include red wine and our own black stuff, Guinness.”

“Sugary drinks are not ideal ever, especially alcoholic sugary drinks. Sugar causes a spike in insulin levels which leads to widespread inflammation throughout the body. This leads to an overproduction of oils, which can end up causing a breakout. Yikes. When sugar is in your bloodstream, it grabs onto protein molecules in the body and turns them into advanced glycation end products or AGEs for short. As you may know, collagen and elastin – the things that give the skin its plumpness and structure – are proteins. The process of glycation can damage your collagen and elastin, which will leave your skin haggard and lax in the long run! Apologies to the cocktail, WKD, white wine and sweet mixer fanatics.”

In the end, it’s all about moderation. Alcohol is always bad for the skin, even in small amounts, but the more you’re drinking, the more you are harming your skin. So take these tips with a pinch of salt (not with your tequila) this coming weekend.

• alcohol
• skincare